Page 10 of Some Like It Scandalous
“Will you wear a crown?”
“Anna! Look this way!”
“What’s your favorite color?”
She walked straight for the SUV. The men in front of her didn’t let anyone get close. The three on the side created a barricade to step through the throng, into the street, between the cars and to the open back door of the Escalade.
A siren whooped-whooped down the street, blue-and-reds flashing, and reporters scrambled for their vehicles. Three were stopped by the police officers. Glancing back once, she zeroed her attention on the dozen or so cameras pointed in her direction.
Security closed the door, insulating her from the sound. The man from her door slid into the front passenger seat. Anothertapped the roof of the car. The sedan in front of them pulled away and they quickly followed.
Twisting, Anna watched the other sedan continue to block the road—hampering the press’s attempt to follow her. Exhaling, she leaned back and crossed one leg over the other.
“Go ahead and put your seatbelt on, Miss Novak.” The man from her front door instructed over his shoulder.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name earlier.” The steadiness of her voice didn’t translate to her fingers. They trembled and she fumbled with the seat belt.
“Johnson. Kyle Johnson.” He glanced back and gave her another quick smile. “It’s nice to meet you, ma’am.”
“Thank you, Mr. Johnson. I wasn’t entirely sure how I was going to get out of there.”
“Not a problem. We’ll have you at the tower soon. It’s secure and they won’t be able to follow you inside.”
“Fantastic.” The sarcasm escaped before she could bottle it. She folded her hands together and turned her gaze to the passing streets. Los Angeles traffic was never pleasant, but they didn’t approach the highways. It probably made sense to them. The last place she wanted to be headed was the tower. Armand was there. Her stomach bottomed out, and she forced her focus back onto their route. She recognized the bypass—they were swinging wide of the city and coming back in from the south.
A phone rang, but hers was still buried in her purse—off.
Kyle answered.
“Yes, sir. She’s secure.” He glanced back at her. “His Highness says he has been calling your phone.”
“It’s off.” She didn’t look at him.
“She turned her cell phone off, sir…yes, sir…one moment please, sir.” Kyle extended the phone to her. “His Highness would like a word, Miss Novak.”
She stared at the phone.
It wouldn’t be fair to Kyle to refuse and make him explain it to his employer.
Accepting the phone, she studied the screen and hit the off button. She passed the phone back to Kyle. “Thank you.”
The man’s impassive expression didn’t shift as he took it back. He looked at the blank screen and waited. Sure enough, it rang again. “Hello, sir.”
The silence in the front stretched and Anna made herself look out the window again. She refused to let the mask slip. Anger could sustain her, because no way would she arrive with swollen eyes and a red nose. She’d shed enough tears for him. They wound through the downtown canyon of skyscrapers toward the bright blue-glassed tower destination.
“No, sir, I handed her the phone. Yes, she hung up, sir.” Poor Kyle kept his tone placid and even. He might as well have been discussing the weather.
A niggle of guilt wormed its way through her anger.
“Miss Novak, His Highness has asked me to request a moment of your time to speak to him on the phone without hanging up.”
She glanced back at the security guard and sighed. She held out her hand and he passed her the phone. She put it to her ear. “Yes,Your Highness?”
“Anna.” Armand’s voice lowered, and the accent wrapped around her name like a caress. But she fought the fluttering response in her belly. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. And you?” Polite. Perfunctory. Perfect. She congratulated herself.
He sighed. “You will be here soon and we can discuss how to handle this.”
